After an ABC investigation exposed some of the more sinister parts of the sport, horse racing became a target for the media in the past decade.
There has been a rapid improvement in the horse racing sector, but it hasn’t stopped campaigners from spreading more misinformation about the sport and related games like pay n play casinos.
We’ve debunked the most common horse racing misconceptions that might harm the sport’s reputation.
1. Whips Affect and Hurt Horses
The usage of the word “whip” in this sentence is the first item that has to be corrected. Horses are encouraged to extend their stride with soft padding used by jockeys in racing.
This mediator does not cause any discomfort to a thoroughbred that has been clinically proven and tested. While it is possible to inflict discomfort on human flesh by striking oneself with a persuader, a thoroughbred horse is different.
The last issue is that if they do not want to gallop, they will not move since they are large creatures with more strength than any jockey. Equine tests have shown that these persuaders aren’t providing jolts of pain but rather a nudge to keep the horse’s focus on the objective.
2. Abattoir After Trip
In a recent ABC show, this problem was brought up, and it appears to have remained in many people’s minds. When a buyer acquires a thoroughbred who intends to send them to a slaughterhouse, the industry cannot control what is shown on that program.
A thoroughbred’s new owners and full-time caregivers usually take care of them until they can no longer run so. Then they are sold to new owners after they are no longer racehorse competitors.
More than 90 percent of thoroughbreds who leave the racetrack are re-homed to the pleasure or equestrian industries. In contrast, many surviving thoroughbreds are re-homed with individuals and adopted as pets.
3. There is no Excitement in Racing for Horses
Thoroughbreds are bred to race from the moment they are born. We shouldn’t have to go into detail about this, but we will for those who still hold to this misconception.
For example, we’ve seen the magnificent grey Chautauqua, formerly the world’s finest sprinter, decide he no longer wants to leap from the barriers. He stood his ground and wouldn’t budge, so the training staff determined he would retire due to a change of heart.
After that, he was adopted by Off The Track equestrians, who are now doing well. Jockeys are no match for horses, which are much stronger than they seem to be. The best guess is that any horse racing is being conducted with the utmost respect and attention to detail for its equine participants.
4. Racing Two-Year-Olds is Cruel Since They Aren’t Developed Enough
This is another prevalent myth. We looked at the lifespans of 117,000 racehorses who entered the sport at various ages for this study. We found that horses that raced as young as two years old had much longer careers than those who competed later in life.
Studies from all across the globe have come to similar conclusions, and this one was no exception. However, it is essential to note that this does not imply that trainers should drive their young horses even more than they already do.
5. Lame Race Horses Are Euthanised
$40,000 to $60,000 per year is the typical expense of training a racehorse. 63% of horses will make less than $20,000 a year, and just 3% will generate enough money to meet their expenses. Anyone who is in it for financial gain will be very disappointed.
Equine euthanasia occurs on the track (or in the hospital following diagnostic imaging) because horses with these injuries cannot recover. All horses, not only racing horses, break their legs and sometimes get lameness, and the causes for this have been well explained in several works. With breakthroughs in veterinary treatment and research, catastrophic injury rates are expected to decline.
6. Any Horse Breed Can Race
The only horses allowed to participate in thoroughbred racing are those that have been bred specifically for the sport. To participate in races like Cheltenham, a horse must have a genealogy that can be traced back to one of the original three stallions.
Additionally, these horses are the only creatures capable of running 1.25 miles in under two minutes while carrying the weight of a rider. The assumption that any horse can compete is incorrect since a typical horse would struggle to do so.
Conclusion
A horse’s existence has nothing to do with ours. The use of an exploited item does not need the consent of any live creature. Much as humans may justify their existence without being exploited, horses can have safe and fulfilling lives without being raced or ridden.
